Elveta
Elveta Elveta (sometimes referred to as Elvetism by English speakers) is the primary religion of the Elvic people. It is universalist, although there are few non-Elvic followers of the religion. Elveta is a polytheistic religion, with nine living Gods and three who were killed in the War for Heaven. It is based on the teachings of the Gods themselves, conveyed to the material universe by the Gods through the use of three main prophets, and written down in the Ticae Bacat (Holy Book). In Elvish and Avamorian, this is called the Tirae Bassat. The first prophet was Elvet (which the name of the religion is derived from), an Elf, then Bacaster, an Orc, who was martyred by the followers of Morrokh, and finally Athdus, a Human, who was also the most successful. However, these prophets are not considered overly special, and to worship them would be considered heresy - they were simply the ones chosen to spread the will of the Gods. It is unknown when Elvet and Bacaster lived, but it is known that Athdus died in approximately 700BC, and the earliest evidence of the religion comes from approximately 1200BC. It is not entirely known where the Elvetan religion comes from. It shares some similarities with the Indo-European pagan traditions but also with Christian traditions. Most scholars agree that Elveta was formed separately from any other religion. The main symbol of Elveta is a golden symmetrical cross surrounded by a circle circle. The vertical line represents the Gods joining together all things (the material and spiritual body as well as the four realms, which are explained below) and the horizontal line represents the restrictions the Gods place on themselves, specifically their promise to never again interfere with free will after the disastrous War for Heaven (again explained below). The circle represents eternal life in Heaven, and the golden colour represents the joy in Heaven and the power of the Gods. It is similar to the Celtic Christian cross, which often causes confusion among foreigners. Each God also has their own specific symbol. Elvetans will choose a "patron God" that they most strongly identify with, and often use the symbol specific to their patron God - in earlier times, Elvetans would also paint the symbol of their patron God on their shield (although for professional soldiers, this was more often than not the flaming sword, the symbol of Akras, the God of war). Elvetans will honour their patron God more highly than others in the pantheon but still respect the other Gods and pray to them. Elveta promotes peace, justice, fairness and generosity, however also unwavering strength in the face of those who would threaten your family and people. It is completely opposed to all forms of slavery. It places great emphasis on the family, and considers the family unit to be the core part of a society. It is not against homosexuality, but opposes homosexual marriage. It also opposes the use of recreational drugs. The Ticae Bacat does not explicitly mention abortion (the practice did not exist when it was written), but the Elvetan Priestly Order, after carefully analysing the book for years, have confirmed that Elveta opposes abortion. In terms of what morals Elveta tries to promote, it is similar to Christianity. The Elvetans consider the Rexada, the dog, the cat and the horse to be sacred animals. Killing such animals when they are used against you in battle is permitted, but killing them in other situations is only permitted if they attack you first. The dog, the cat and the horse may be eaten if no other food is available, however the Rexada may only be eaten for the Dawnhail celebration. In Nesaria, these rules are enforced by law. The Gods can be worshipped at shrines and temples. Priests lead religious services every Sunday in the temples. The holiest of these temples are the High Temples, ten of which are in Nesaria and two of which are in Elfland. These were the first temples raised to the Gods. Major religious services, such as the Peace Day service, are held in the High Temples. Significant religious icons are also held in the High Temples, for example the first ever Nesarian statue raised to King Yakela is kept in the Capiton High Temple in Capitalia. The High Temples are guarded by a group known as the Akrasans, elite professional soldiers loyal specifically to Akras the Warrior. Candidates must at least finish training as a Maxocos (see section: Elvetan Priestly Order) before being eligible to join the Akrasans. In modern times, they carry live firearms, and they are instructed to shoot to kill anyone who damages the temple or attacks the priests or congregation. Elvetans (those who follow Elveta) believe in four realms, which are as follows: * Heaven is the eternal afterlife of all good people, and home of the Gods. Elvetans believe that living a good, moral life will earn you a place in Heaven, where eternal joy is experienced. * The Universe '''is the material universe in which we live. The Gods have no physical presence here. * '''Naemea (also called Purgatory in English) is the "transition" realm. Elvetans believe that this is where your soul goes immediately after you die, and it is where Jakras judges whether you should be sent to Heaven or Hell, weighing up your good deeds against the bad. The intricacies of how Jakras judges your soul and how long and severe your punishment in Hell will be is far too complex to mention here. It is also where sinners permanently stay after suffering punishment in Hell. It is a pleasant place, but nothing like as joyful as Heaven. * Hell 'is the eternal afterlife of all bad people. Jakras rules here, although his home is Heaven. Elvetans believe that disrespecting the will of the Gods and living an amoral and degenerate life will earn you a place in Hell, where you are punished according to the severity of your sins. Most sinners will be sent back to Naemea after Jakras has deemed that they have been punished sufficiently according to their sins. Petty sinners may be re-judged and sent to Heaven if they genuinely repent. The worst sinners, such as the mass murderers, rapists and paedophiles, never leave Hell. Burial is considered the only way to put the dead to rest. Elvetans believe that the soul can only be released into Naemea once it has been buried. To cremate a body would be to destroy its soul. If the body does not turn to ash or is otherwise not utterly destroyed, a death by burning would not destroy the soul according to Elvetans. Even the bodies of the evil must not be burned, for they must face punishment in Hell for their crimes. Gods ''Note that wherever a God has a "k" in its name, the Nesarian version of the word uses a "c" instead. However, most non-Nesarians use the "k" over the "c". Click herehttp://www.familyecho.com/?p=START&c=zm4490nka8&f=309474627126447724 for the family tree of the Gods. Living Gods * '''King Yakela: '''King of the Gods, father of all men, ruler of Heaven. Husband of Itaena, brother of Jakras and Hacaetos, father of Nemitus and Akras. God of monarchs, governance, leadership and power. His symbol is a bright sun, to represent the light and truth he brings, and also a representation of the power of the sun. * '''Queen Itaena: '''Queen of the Gods, mother of all women. Wife of Yakela and mother of Nemitus and Akras. Goddess of life, birth and love. Her symbol is a rose, a repesentation of love and life. * '''Nemitus the Farmer: '''Humble farmer. Brother of Akras, son of Yakela and Itaena. God of modesty, honesty and agriculture. His symbol is a dull iron sickle, representing both his association with agriculture and humility. * '''Akras the Warrior: '''Valiant soldier. Brother of Nemitus, son of Yakela and Itaena. God of war and bravery. His symbol is a flaming sword, a representation of his power and strength. * '''Jakras the Judge: '''Ruler of Hell, supreme judge. Husband of Yaesan, brother of Yakela and Hacaetos, father of Kinetas. God of justice, punishment and death. His symbol is a set of balance scales, a representation of his fair but firm judgement. * '''Yaesan the Scholar: '''Wise scholar. Wife of Jakras, sister of Etana, mother of Kinetas. Goddess of learning and intelligence. Her symbol is a book (thought to be the Ticae Bacat, but not explicitly stated anywhere), a fairly obvious representation of learning and knowledge. * '''Kinetas the Youth: '''Energetic and carefree youth. Son of Jakras and Yaesan. God of wine, fun and youth. His symbol is a chalice full of red wine, a representation of joy and the youthful spirit. * '''Etana the Artist: '''Gifted artist. Sister of Yaesan, ex-wife of Casadut, mother of Kalaesan. Goddess of art, music and beauty. Her symbol is a paintbrush, which is a fairly intuitive symbol. * '''Kalaesan the Virgin: '''Devoted virgin priestess. Daughter of Etana and Casadut. Goddess of purity and piety. Her symbol is a white dove, a representation of purity and innocence. Deceased Gods * '''King Cetamucos: '''Father of the Elves. Brother of Casadut. God of magic and the Elves. His symbol is a blue spark, a representation of magic. * '''Casadut the Smith: '''Father of the Dwarves. Brother of Cetamucos, ex-husband of Etana, father of Kalaesan. God of mining, smithing and the Dwarves. His symbol is an an anvil, a representation of his role as the "smith of the world". * '''Hacaetos the Sailor: '''Master of the waves. Brother of Yakela and Jakras. God of seas, sailing and marine life. His symbol is a boat, a fairly obvious representation of the sea. Laws of Yakela The "Laws of Yakela" are the main tenets of Elveta, agreed upon by the Elvetan Priestly Order. The Laws of Yakela are never explicitly given in the form of a list, however the Elvetan Priestly Order collected together the main ideas that the Gods put across in the Ticae Bacat and condensed them into list form. There are twelve laws, and the order of the laws has no effect on their importance. To break the laws is a sin, and some laws carry the punishment of eternal damnation in Hell (i.e. to never leave Hell once you die) and execution. Official Wording # Thou shalt not murder, or deliberately kill thy kin. Thou shalt not deliberately kill a child under any circumstances. A single murder may be forgiven by Jakras the Judge, but if thou murders many, or murders thy kin or a child, thou shalt suffer eternal damnation in Hell, and execution to send thee there. # Thou shalt not steal, especially not from thy friends and kin. # Thou shalt not rape, especially not a married person. If thou rape a husband or wife, thou shalt be executed, to send thee to thy punishment in Hell. If thou rape a child, thou shalt be executed and suffer eternal damnation in Hell. # Thou shalt not commit adultery, regardless of whether thou art married or not. # If thou art a man, thou may lay with a man, or if thou art a woman, thou may lay with a woman, but a man cannot marry a man and a woman cannot marry a woman, for such a relationship is not sacred. # Thou shalt not lay with the beasts. If thou lay with the beasts, thy punishment is eternal damnation in Hell, and execution to send thee there. # Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour in a court of religious or secular law. # Thou shalt honour thy elders, but above all honour thy parents. Only the Gods shalt be honoured more highly than thy parents. # Thou shalt spread the good word of the Gods to heathens, but do so in peace and with good will, and not enforce the word of the Gods by the sword, for a heathen is still thy neighbour, and they are only misguided, not evil. However, thou shalt deliver swift punishment to heretics, for the words of the Ticae Bacat and the Holy Order are the one truth, and corruptions shalt not be tolerated. # Thou shalt not eat the Rexada bird unless thou art hailing the dawn. The Rexada is the most noble beast, chosen by the Gods, and the spirit of King Yakela lives in every Rexada. # Thou shalt not eat the meat of the dog, the cat or the horse unless thou art starving and no other meat is available. These also rank amongst the most noble beasts, and the spirit of the Gods lives in them. Simple Wording # A single murder, depending on the circumstances, may be forgiven, but murdering many people, murdering a family member or murdering a child is an unforgivable sin and condemns you to execution and eternal damnation in Hell. # Stealing is a sin. # Rape is a sin. Raping a married person or a child is an unforgiveable sin and condemns you to execution and eternal damnation in Hell. # Adultery is a sin. # Homosexual relationships are tolerated, but homosexual marriages are a sin. # Beastiality / Zoophilia is an unforgiveable sin and condemns you to execution and eternal damnation in Hell. # Lying in a court of religious or secular law is a sin. # You should respect and honour your parents and your elders, but above all respect and honour the Gods. # Elveta should be spread peacefully, but never forced upon a population. However, heretics should be punished quickly and severely. # Eating the Rexada on any other day than Dawnhail is a serious sin. # Eating the dog, the cat or the horse when other meat is readily available is a sin. Religious Celebrations * '''Dawnhail is the celebration of the winter solstice and the return to sunlight. It used to be on the fourth Sunday of December, but it was standardised to the 25th of December in the late 1800s. This date was chosen not only to make keeping track of the date easier, but to better align with the Nesarian Empire's Christian allies and trading partners. The date of the western Christmas was chosen rather than the Orthodox Christmas simply because it is closer to when Dawnhail is traditionally celebrated. * Duskhail '''is the celebration of the summer solstice and the harvest. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. * '''Peace Day is the celebration of the end of the War for Heaven and the ceasefire between the Gods, and a celebration of peace and unity in general. It is also when the soldiers who fought for the Nesarian Empire are remembered and revered. No fighting is done on this day, and criminals who commit crimes on this day get much harsher sentences. It is celebrated on the first Sunday of August. In WW1, both the Russians and British respected the Peace Day celebration. In WW2, the British again respected it, but the Soviets ignored it and used the opportunity to perform a massive attack in 1943. For the rest of the war, Peace Day was not celebrated along the Russian front. The Soviets also ignored it for the entirety of the Nesarian War of Independence, and Peace Day was not celebrated at all during the entire war. Sacrifices Sacrifices are routinely performed in Elveta. Once a month, all the High Temples sacrifice a white deer, and all other temples sacrifice a lamb. All temples also sacrifice a horse for Dawnhail and Duskhail, which is one of the few occasions where killing a horse is permitted. No sacrifices are made on Peace Day. Animals are sacrificed by saying a prayer and then slitting the throat of the animal, letting its blood flow into a bowl. The animal must be calm before it is sacrificed. At the end of the sacrifice ceremony, the blood from all the sacrifices is "given to the grave", as an offering to the dead. Sacrifices can only be made by those in the Elvetan Priestly Order, and they can only be made outside of these regular times in special circumstances, which must be approved by at least three Mocosovaneo, one of which is your local Mocosovan (or yourself if you are a Mocosovan). Mocoretuxeo can perform special sacrifices at any time. Sacrifices are made as a show of devotion, and as an offering to the Gods to thank them for their creations and for watching over the Universe. Sacrifices are also made to appease the Gods as part of repenting for sins, although this is less prominent in modern times. The health of the sacrificed animal is also a sign of how fortunate (or unfortunate) the future will be. Unlike some other religions with animal sacrifice, the Gods do not feed or take power from the sacrificed animal. In older times, the Elves believed that sacrifices slowed down the decline of magic, however this theory was abandoned in the mid 1100s when magic disappeared almost entirely. Limacava Limacava (plural Limacavateo), loosely translated as "Pool of the Dead", is a natural pool set aside for religious purposes, by which large quantities of Bloodflies thrive. Nesaria has ten Pools of the Dead (one for each Shire/Duchy but two for Capitalia), Elfland has eight (one on each island), and Avamoria has one for the city of Avamoria and one in each district. The blood of sacrificed animals are poured into a Limacava, an act known as "giving to the grave". Some people have been known to commit suicide by opening up their wrists over a Limacava. Blood given to a Limacava is an offering to the dead, both as a prayer that the dead in Naemea will find their way to Heaven, and as a general act of respect for the deceased. To put an inappropriate liquid such as urine into a Limacava is a serious offence and extreme sacrilege in Nesaria, Elfland and Avamoria. In Nesaria and Elfland this carries the penalty of execution, and in Avamoria it is life imprisonment. War for Heaven The War for Heaven forms a significant part of the Elvetan creation story. The story goes that the Gods, upon creating the Universe, grew jealous of each other's creations and each other's power. This boiled over into an all-out war, fought between the Humans and Gods led by King Yakela and the Elves, Dwarves and Gods led by King Cetamucos. It is never specified in the Ticae Bacat which Gods fought for which side, it only states the leaders. Initially, the Humans and Elves were wielded like puppets, until Yaesan the Scholar gave the gift of free will to the Humans. This combined with the combat skill of King Yakela and Akras the Warrior led to Yakela's victory, but at great cost. King Cetamucos, Casadut the Smith and Hacaetos the Sailor all died in the fighting, as did millions of Humans, Elves and Dwarves. Casadut's death led the grieving and demoralised Dwarves to encase themselves underground. Hacaetos' death sent his followers into such a fury that they became physically deformed, their rage mutating them, and the Orcs were born. His death also mutated some of his sea creatures into monstrous beings, the only one of which that survives being the Leviathan. Cetamucos' death gave the Elves a wary and isolationist attitude, and began the decline of magic. Once Cetamucos was dead, the Gods promised to never attack each other again and to give all their creations (not just Humans) free will. However, they soon found that their creations were fighting each other just as ferociously as the Gods had fought, and that (combined with other issues such as morality) convinced the Gods to start sending their guidance to their creations through the use of the three prophets, creating Elveta. The War for Heaven is the main reason why Elveta is largely pacifistic. Only a small percentage of the Elvetan Priestly Order takes the after-effects of the war literally (such as the Orcs being created by the death of Hacaetos), especially given that the Ticae Bacat is often metaphorical, however most do believe that there was a vast holy war in the material universe started by a war between the Gods. Elvetan Priestly Order The Elvetan Priestly Order is the main religious institution of Elveta, consisting of all the Elvetan priests. Three Priestly Orders exist, in Nesaria, Avamoria and Elfland. All of them have the same structure, and all three must mutually agree on changes to Elvetan doctrine before any official changes are made. For simplicity's sake, the following description will just be of the Elvetan Priestly Order in Nesaria, using Nesarian names. Maxocos (Originally Maxaemocos, literally “New Priest”, but shortened over time) A Maxocos is a trainee priest, learning how to become part of the Priestly Order. They enter the Order from age 14 upwards. Maxocoses (or, more accurately, Maxocoseo) are educated in religious matters and study the Ticae Bacat (Holy Book). Training a 14-year-old normally takes around four years. Older Maxocoseo may take as little as two. After passing an exam, a council of four (the local Mocosovan, the local Mocos and two other randomly selected Mocoseo within the same Bexativon) decide if the Maxocos is ready to be promoted to Mocos. Mocos A Mocos is a normal priest who serves in a particular Getivon (parish). They run the Sunday service as well as all Yacepoleo (essentially baptisms), marriages and funerals in their Getivon. They do not hold services for non-Elvetan members of the Getivon, but all civil partnerships, Yacopoleo, marriages and funerals are still registered through the Mocos. Mocoseo also take confession and participate in the local community. Wandering Mocoseo exist, which are Maxocoseo who have graduated to Mocos rank but no Getivoneo are empty and waiting to be filled. Wandering Mocoseo travel wherever they please (but generally within the Empire), acting as missionaries, spreading the word of the Gods and the Prophets. Mocoseo can also choose to become Wandering for a period of up to six months before returning to their Getivon – in the meantime, they are covered by another Wandering Mocos. Mocoseo can only become Wandering once in their lifetime before permanently returning to their Getivon until death or resignation. Mocosovan A Mocosovan serves in a particular Bexativon (Diocese) (Bexativon was originally Bexasgetivon, literally “great parish”, but was shortened over time). They appoint, remove and replace Mocoseo (in order for a Mocos to be removed, at least 20% of the population of that Mocos’ Getivon must sign a petition asking for the removal of the Mocos. Alternatively, a Mocos is immediately removed if they break the law). Like how a Mocos collects information on all the civil partnerships, marriages, Yacopoleo and funerals. They also collect information on Christian baptisms. A Mocosovan is more educated in the Ticae Bacat than a Mocos. They run more major religious services within their Bexativon, such as the Peace Day service. They also take confession but generally have a long waiting list. Mocoretux The Mocoretux is the leader of the whole Elveta religion for their country. They appoint, remove and replace Mocosovaneo (the same rules for Mocoseo apply for Mocosovaneo). They collect all the information from Nesaria (but not the whole Empire) on civil partnerships, marriages, Yacopoleo, Christian baptisms and funerals. The Mocoretux is elected by the Mocosovaneo, and they can be either Mocos or Mocosovan. The Mocosovaneo cast their vote for whoever they want to be Mocoretux, and the two candidates with the most votes go through to the second round. The Mocosovaneo vote again for which of the two candidates they prefer, and the winner becomes Mocoretux. Like with all priestly positions, the Mocoretux holds their office for life. The Mocoretux is the most educated in the Ticae Bacat, and the wisest in the Order. They are the ultimate authority on all matters relating to the Ticae Bacat. They serve as the Mocosovan of Capiton (the Bexativon where the Royal Palace and Great Pantheon are). They run major religious services in Capiton, which are often televised, and are also responsible for the civil partnerships, marriages, Yacopoleo and funerals of the royal family. The Mocoretux can also call Vaxapeo (Crusades). The Mocoretux is the only one who can change Elvetan doctrine, as long as the Mocoretuxeo of all three Elvetan Priestly Orders agree. If the Mocoretux is publicly and officially accused of incompetence or heresy – known as Condemnation, or Vaxatros – the Mocosovaneo hold a vote to decide the fate of the Mocoretux. If they are 60% or more in favour of removing the Mocoretux, he is removed from his position and banished from the Order, and an election for the next Mocoretux takes place. Kalaemoconis Kalaemoconiseo are priests dedicated to Kalaesan. Although Kalaesan is a goddess, Kalaemoconiseo can be either male or female. They take vows of celibacy, and stay in the Great Temple of Kalaesan in the Capitalian Mountains, heading out each summer to spread the word of the Gods. They must at least qualify as a Maxocos before taking their vows as a Kalaemoconis. Kalaemoconiseo are considered extremely holy. To harm them or take their sacred virginity bears the penalty of death, and a Kalaemoconis who breaks their vows is executed. Kalaemoconiseo must be virgins and can only leave after serving for at least 10 years. Other Information No member of the Order is spiritually superior to any other, and no member is infallible. Members are allowed (and encouraged) to criticise other members, including their superiors, if they believe that a member is interpreting the Ticae Bacat incorrectly. The ranks of the Order are based entirely on how skilled and educated the priest is, meaning that most members have the capacity to become Mocoretux if they work hard and learn the Ticae Bacat. Members of the Order are not forbidden from marrying or having children, however they cannot run their own marriage or Yacepoltruc (baptise) their own children – this is done by the next rank up. If the Mocoretux requires one of these services, they pick any suitable member to do it. If a member of the Order is found guilty of adultery, they are executed. Members can be male or female, but the Order is mostly composed of men. Followers Elveta is the most widely followed religion in the Empire, followed by 30% of the population. The percentages given below have been rounded to 2 decimal points where appropriate, and so may not be entirely accurate. * Total: 26,198,000 * Nesaria (60%): 15,000,000 * Avamoria (90%): 5,940,000 * Elfland (95%): 1,900,000 * Osdarth (8%): 1,680,000 * Estemoria (12%): 1,020,000 * Indissia (5%): 425,000 * Draconia (2.64%): 90,000 * Kazakhstan (0.44%): 78,000 * Iran (0.05%): 42,000 * Russia (0.01%): 13,000 * Georgia (0.27%): 10,000 Elveta is followed by approximately 0.0037% of Earth's population and is the ninth most followed religion, between African traditional religions and Sikhism.